Dispatches: Two Family Businesses Invest in Catonsville Despite Down Economy

If you asked Mary Chizmadia or Mike Lanasa why they decided to expand their family businesses in a down economy, they are likely to credit location, location, location. And, that means Catonsville.

Mary is one of the owners of on Frederick Road with her son, Ken. The family returned to Catonsville from New Mexico after opening and owning the candy shop for many years.

Mike Lanasa and his family own , which moved from Ellicott City to historic Oella, a neighborhood within Catonsville.

On Wednesday, both businesses held ceremonial ribbon cuttings at their newly renovated buildings -- joyous affairs that included County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and other politicians. The topic, again -- Catonsville.

"We're really seeing the charm of Oella," said Lanasa after he finished a "bread cutting" with elected officials. Since the store has opened, it has gained  customers because of its location next to the walking/biking path that runs through the tiny historic mill town between Catonsville and Ellicott City.

Lanasa and his family took three years to renovate a former skating rink and dilapidated car shop. The economic downturn had just started, but instead of scrapping his plans Lanasa chose to take advantage of green energy tax credits and work with small contractors who needed customers.

The building has many green elements, including white reflective roofing, thermal paint and other recycled materials. Those elements have helped save roughly 35 percent on his electricity bills.

For Kenny and Mary Chizmadia, Catonsville is the only place where they would start a business from scratch, they said. They started after Ken's disability prevented him from being hired elsewhere. They sold the business in 2007 and moved to New Mexico to be with Mary's other daughter and her three young children. But a few years later, they decided to return to Catonsville.

The family, along with help of chocolatier Dona Peters, renovated 819 Frederick Road into an old-fashioned candy shop.

Mary said the connections she had in Catonsville from prior years made it easy to find a perfect location in the one city she knew was the only place for her. Real estate agent Kirby Spencer owns the building and rents it to them.

"She worked it out with me to where it was something I could afford," Mary said.

She's also confident she will gain new customers and welcome back old ones at the new location.

"It's Catonsville," she said.

In fact, that's the same thought that Executive Director Teal Cary has when reflecting on the new businesses opening or old ones expanding.

"No matter what the economy [these business owners] are set on being in Catonsville and making something happen," Cary said, who also attended both ribbon cuttings.

Despite the economy, membership at the chamber has grown by about 20 business in the last year.

Sally Griffin, president of the board of the chamber, said that many of these business owners know that Catonsville residents will be loyal.

Spencer, who is president of JK ELM, Inc., said she thinks that businesses like Ken's Old Fashioned Candy Shop are the ones that tend to grow and thrive in struggling economies.

"It's that spirit of entrepreneurship," she said.

Councilman Tom Quirk said at both ribbon cuttings that these are the types of businesses that have been thriving in Catonsville, with a walkable downtown that is a mix of music shops, antique shops, restaurants and other businesses.

"It seems like just about every week we're having a ribbon cutting," he said.

Other businesses have opened in Catonsville in recent months that are run by families, including and .

You can find more articles from this ongoing series, “Dispatches: The Changing American Dream” from across the country at The Huffington Post.